As parents, we know that the most important obligation we have to our children is to keep them safe. We strap them into their car seats until they can legally ride with only a seatbelt; when they are still toddlers and old enough to reach into kitchen drawers, we make sure those drawers containing objects that can hurt them have mechanisms that they can’t undo. When they are old enough to have play dates, we ask the host parent to make sure that, if there is a pool on the property, there is a barrier around it that prevents them from wandering into it unattended. And if children are coming to our houses to play for the first time, we often ask if they have any food allergies of which we need to be aware. In short, as loving parents, our goal is to surround them with a veil of protection that extends as far as we can see.
But there is one safety question that is rarely addressed: do the parents of your child’s playmates own guns, and if they do, are they safely stored? How often have you been asked this question by the parents of the children you host? How often have you asked your relatives that you and your children visit, especially during the holidays? Likely rarely, if ever, in these times, when the topic of guns is so politically sensitive. And yet there are facts that suggest this question is vital to your child’s safety.
Every year, nearly 360 children unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. Approximately 77 percent of these incidents take place in a home. This makes unintentional gun accidents the second leading cause of death in children under the age of 14. Equally alarming are the 600 suicides by guns in teenagers, who most often use guns belonging to a family member. While mass shootings receive huge media coverage, as well they should, they actually account for less than two percent of gun deaths in the U.S. By contrast, the nearly daily incidents of young children dying or injured by unsecured guns in the home go relatively unreported. The far more frequent accidental deaths from children finding and accidentally shooting loaded guns in their homes--causing heartbreaking tragedy in families, neighborhoods, and towns--escape our notice.
Here are more facts: Over 4.6 million children in the United States live in homes where there are multiple guns, loaded and unsecured. Many young children, including those as young as three, are strong enough to fire a gun, and curious enough to locate them even in surprisingly obscure places. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, accidental gun deaths in children is a public health crisis, especially in teenagers, whose gun suicide rate has increased by 82 percent in the last ten years. Depressed teenagers, often silent about their mental state, are given to impulse, and when suicidal thoughts occur, a readily available gun is too often their weapon of choice.
What could make the difference in these statistics? Responsible gun storage practices. Although eleven states, including California, which has some of the strictist laws, require that a gun lock or safe be purchased whenever a gun is sold, studies suggest that only 10 percent of owners actually use them. Studies also show that when people are educated about the importance of safe gun storage, the incidence of accidental shootings markedly decreases. In short, education about the importance of safe gun storage is a highly effective method of saving children’s lives. Laws and education appear to be a potent combination to provide protection against accidental gun deaths.
Enter Be SMART, a new program that has recently launched in Monterey County. Operating under the umbrella of Moms Demand Action, one of the largest volunteer organizations advocating for sensible gun laws, Be SMART is a community education campaign to educate people about responsible gun storage and prepare them to share the message with their families, neighbors, and social networks. Endorsing the program are our local police chiefs, emergency physicians, hospital CEOs, pediatricians, community leaders, and child and adolescent behavioral experts. It has attracted the interest of our state, federal, and local legislators, especially gaining the support of our police departments which regularly conduct family outreach programs. Be SMART makes no judgment about gun ownership; its only objective is to spread the message that if you own a gun and you have young children or teenagers both in your home and visiting it, lock them up, unloaded, and store them separate from ammunition in another location.
Be SMART organizers are hoping for many opportunities to spread its message at PTA and school board meetings, farmers’ markets, physician meetings, faith-based organizations, veterans groups -- anywhere, in fact, where people gather to gain information on local issues and solutions. Its volunteer ranks are growing along with the list of public officials who see Be SMART playing an important part in the health and safety of our community. Many of the tragedies they see as a result of gun violence are entirely preventable with responsible gun storage.
We love our children and know that their health and safety are our responsibility. Given that, participating in the Be SMART program will make a significant contribution to the well being of our Monterey County community. Presentations are available in both English and Spanish. A video explaining the importance of safe gun storage is available at besmartforkids.org. The program is expanding throughout the County and volunteers are needed to fill our ranks. If saving children’s lives strikes you as a vital call to action, join us. We have volunteer positions in many areas that might suit your particular skills. In all 50 states and in most counties in California, we are working to make Be SMART a community standard. Our aim is to make conversations about safe gun storage as normal as those we have about pool and food safety.
Susan Meister is the Be Smart lead in Monterey County. She can be reached at susanmeist@gmail.com. If you are a member of a group that might want a Be SMART presentation, contact Events Lead Corrie Rothman, corrierothman@gmail.com.